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Wanted: Travel Companions for Camino Norte 2014

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Chio

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Hello,

I am looking to form a small group to walk the Northern route together in 2014. My starting time frame is flexible, anytime between late April through September 2014. I am a leisurely hiker, 10-15 miles a day works for me, sometimes more, sometimes less. I would like to keep it flexible. Since the distances between alberques can be 20+ miles on the Northern route; hostels, camping out, or sharing the cost of hotels, all work for me as well as albergues. If anyone is interested in flexibly planning the journey together, meeting at a beginning point on the Northern route, and traveling together please post a comment.

Chio
 
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Just a suggestion / query. I would imagine that in late April there would be sufficient pilgrims for you to meet along the way. That way you could still be flexible and have companions along the way, but they could be a group that changes as you wish - depending on what distance you decide to walk each day. When I walked this route some (4) years ago I walked with a group of somewhere between 30 & 40 pilgrims, admittedly later in the season, but with the current increase in numbers I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers would be similar in late April / early May now. Janet
 
I can only speak as I find, but will just point out that when I walked alone in 2009 on the del Norte, I never had any issues and, neither was totally alone. I always felt safe on this trip, as I did when I walked alone on the VF last year. Now that was a trip where I was pretty much alone the entire time, only meeting10 pilgrims the entire way from London to Rome! Prior to reaching the del Norte in 2009 I had walked the Vezelay path and had walked for about 5 weeks seeing only one other pilgrim just on a couple of days. I keep my wits about me as I walk, and don't do stupid things to put myself at risk, but am never nervous. When I walk the CF in three weeks time I suspect there will be days on end when I don't see another pilgrim. Janet
 
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Chicoa, my wife and I are toying with the idea of walking the Norte route maybe May/June of 2015. We Would be quit interested in hearing about your adventures after you walk it in 2014.

Good luck and safe travels, Kennedy
 
my wife and I are planing on walking the Norte route in September 2014, if we are there at the same time, we are more than happy to walk some of it together with anyone.
 
Hello Chio,
I'm planning to walk the Norte in 2014, flying out of Australia to London in May returning end of September. I'm 63yo and walked 1600km from Le Puy to Astorga and Oporto to Santiago in May to July this year. I too enjoy having a companion to walk with and would be pleased to discuss this. I had a walking companion for the French section and walked alone in Spain and Portugal but was never alone long enough to feel lonely. I hear the Norte is a little more challenging than the Le Puy route and Frances.
Angela
 
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You will always find peregrinos along the Camino del Norte far fewer than the Camino Frances but you won´t walk alone in summer. Due keep in mind there are some albergues which only open up in the summer months. In any case I hope you have a great time along the way and do smell the flowers and the sea.

Ondo Ibili !
 
Hola Chio and welcome. Can I suggest that you read the thread Walking with a Companion as you and a like minded group maybe make plans to walk together. Walking as a group may be right for you but this could help you all as you think through your plans.
Buen Camino
 
Hola,

First thing that comes in mind is, have you checked the calendar of this site?
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/events/monthly or there is a tab at the upper part of the screen.
Maybe you can enter your dates there and see if someone responds. That said, I think you are doing the right thing by making a thread so you
can describe yourself and your thoughts and wishes.

From reading your posts I am not certain if you have walked the Camino before, but it sound to me as if it will be a new adventure for you .
My experiences with Norte and Frances are, that so much happens that one could never have anticipated.
The bonding/sharing with strangers/pilgrims is certainly on top of a very long list.
Somehow the Camino brings out the best of a majority of those who walk them.
And the same people tend to reconnect with you along the way, whether you walk slowly or fast.
I am only writing this because your thoughts about finding partners, will manifest themselves once on route.
I do however think it is a great idea to create new friendships in life, plan an adventure with strangers beforehand, and see where it will lead.

About walking, and doing it in a group, the Caminos showed me that there is really only one speed to walk; ones own.
Else you strain your muscles, mood, challenges.
Walking is about a rhythm, everyone in their own, and this can make it difficult to pre-plan a distance, so one can share an accommodation or such.

Two things.
Remember, the Caminos are not wilderness hiking.
Every day you pass rural areas with shopping possibilities and plenty of options for taking care of practical things.
Pack light, prepare to un-connect for a while, don't worry to much - focus on getting to Irun or Saint Jean - what comes after no one knows.

Read up a little about Camino Primitivo.
Norte gets to a fork where one can go either Norte or Primitivo.
The distance to Santiago is about the same.
Once you get there, you have a choice to make.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo
 
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Hi, Chio, There are trains at the Madrid airport that will take you in about 12 minutes to the Chamartin Train Station, which is where the train to Irun leaves from. The commuter trains (cercanias) leave from T4 at the Barajas airport. Cercanias and the regular long distance trains are both run by RENFE. There is a RENFE office at the airport and you can buy your ticket there if you haven't already got it.

Buen camino, Laurie
 
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Like Angela I am also planning the Norte for a mid May 2014 start in Bayonne or Biarritz. Am sure there will be a number of pilgrims starting around this time. Am always happy to walk with others or meet at the end of the day.
 
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My friend and I also intend to walk from Irun around 20th May and look forward to meeting some of you along the way. Walking a bit ,meeting up for meals etc. Not keen to walk in a group though as we all walk at a different pace. We are retired nurses aged 65 and 66 not slow walkers but not fast either
 
I really enjoyed wlking from Bayonne Llew. It is well signposted and not too strenuous. Go to the Cathedral there. In summer they have a manned desk to meet pilgrims. There are flashes of the sea as you walk, and depending on the day, markets in some of the towns. The one thing you may have to contend with is the surfing crowd, harmless but a lot of them! The church in St Jean de Luz has a basque mass on the Sat night (not sure how regularly), complete with a male voice choir the night I was there (and a bomb scare to boot!). In the little churches (and the not so little too) from about that point on often have a model boat or ship hanging from the ceiling (because Mary "protects the fisherman" one basque lady told me), a number of balconies (for the men to stand in - the ladies have the seats in the body of the church - they didn't mix - again so a basque lady told me) and very big verandahs (for the viallgers to meet under). The haystacks are very different too, again traditional basque so that the water can run off them. Enjoy. Janet
 
Chio said:
Gracias MendiWalker. I had not come across RutasASantiago.com before. I'm going to spend a little time exploring that site - gracias.

Chio
Click to expand...

On all my Caminos ( Frances,Portugues de la Costa,Sanabres) I took a printed copy which showed the distance between towns and services it offered. Why carry a heavy guide book when a printed sheet of paper does the same job?

Right now on the Camino del Norte I am not seeing anyone ( I live in Bilbo) but when Spring arrives I start to see peregrinos till end of Oct. During the Summer months is when there are more peregrinos on the Camino (fewer than on the Frances). You might not come across any during your daily walk but you´ll meet up for sure at the albergue. And as I wrote above some albergues are only open during the summer months ( Portugalete and Pobeña are two examples).

The Camino del Norte is harder than the Frances. The food is great. The people are helpful. And the landscape is awesome.............. walk slowly enjoy your days.

Ondo Ibili !
 
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Mugging????? Where......... when......... which Camino.......... Do you know how many people walk the Camino every year? I don´t know where you´re from but Spain is quiet a safe country and even more so for peregrinos. But as they say in Spain " El miedo es libre."

Ondo Ibili !
 

Como decimos por aquí, ¡ye lo que hay!....
 
Chio said:
Language: I speak limited Spanish (my father spoke Spanish) but we'll be in Basque country. I don't speak Basque, but I'm willing to learn.
Click to expand...

Si consigues aprender veinte palabras de euskera te pago una cena cuando pases por mi zona. Por cierto, supongo que el nombre no te haya confundido, aunque se llame País Vasco, es España, al menos de momento. Todo la gente sabe hablar español allí, pero no toda sabe euskera. Como curiosidad, Asturias en realidad se llama Principado de Asturias, ya que el heredero de la corona de España recibe el nombre de Príncipe de Asturias.
 
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Dear Chio,

I am new to posting here, but have been lurking for over a year. You will find lots of useful information here to help on your walk. But unfortunately there are a handful of rude and condescending "pilgims" here as well, as you have just seen. Pay them no mind.

I have walked three pilgrimages, two of them solo, and I'm a woman in my 60's. You will be as safe, or safer, on the camino as anywhere else, whether you walk alone or with pre-planned companions or with people you meet along the way. Crime is everywhere, sadly, but I felt safer on the camino than walking around my city or neighborhood after dark.

However, your feelings and comfort level are the most important thing. You are from a small town, right? You will find what works for you with your experiences. If you feel pulled to the camino though, I hope you won't cancel if you can't find companions in advance. Irun is a busy starting point, especially in the summer. If your time is flexible, you could perhaps stay there for a few days until you feel acclimated and meet some peregrinos you click with and start your walk with them.

Blessings and Ultreya!
Martha
 
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LTfit said:
Many of us start out alone, by choice. Others such as the OP prefer to travel with companions. Let's be sensitive to their concerns and personal decisions. There is also no need to be sarcastic.
Click to expand...

If you care to read up you will see that I have been very sensitive to their concern and personal decisions. In fact I have passed on very useful links.

No one has been sarcastic at all nor rude as another recent poster has commented. You or anyone else may send me a private convo if they want further info.

Ondo Ibili !
 
Yo, en mis intervenciones, intento ayudar en lo que puedo y no creo que haya sido grosero en ningún momento, sí que pude ser algo irónico. Pero también os tenéis que dar cuenta de que a veces se escriben cosas que no sienta muy bien a los que vivimos por aquí.
No entiendo que alguien diga que quiere ir en grupo porque ha leído que el camino es inseguro, o que no se atreven a llamar a una casa a una determinada hora por miedo a que sea la hora de la siesta, etc, etc. Antes de escribir cosas así hay que informarse un poco de a donde se viene. No creo, salvo excepciones, que los que hicisteis el camino hayáis tenido malas experiencias ni os sintierais inseguros. Creo que España en general, y el norte en particular, es un pueblo bastante hospitalario (al menos eso dice la gente que viene de fuera). De hecho, no creo que haya muchos sitios donde puedas "peregrinar" y tengas donde alojarte sólo por la voluntad, porque aún hay albergues donde si no quieres, no pagas.
Siento que este forero se haya molestado e intentaré ser menos irónico en otras intervenciones (la ironía es muy asturiana). Pero insisto, antes de escribir sobre un sitio, y no hablo sólo de España, preguntad y no tengáis prejuicios.

P.D.: no paso esto por el traductor porque a saber lo que sale.

Saludos.
 
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Perhaps something was lost in translation, but I'm not sure how the concerns of the OP have anything to do with "prejudices" against Spain? Crime happens everywhere, including Spain and on the camino. Acknowledging that is not an indictment on the general hospitality of the the Spanish people. And a woman travelling alone anywhere has a right to express concern for safety, security and comfort with her surroundings, wherever she goes!

I myself had an incident traveling solo on the Norte before San Sebastian, where a local gave me directions and then reached out and groped me. It was very jarring. My personality, my experiences, my prior travels, etc, allowed me to shake it off pretty quickly. It was a small negative compared to the blissful wonder of the rest of my walk. But other solo women might find that kind of risk unacceptable and overly upsetting. No one is prejudiced against Spain or the Spanish people because they explore these questions in a forum like this.

Blessings,
Martha
 
Actually, a long walk can be done from one's front door. There is no need to travel to do it. An undisguised blessing.
 
Chio,
Forget what you read.. Spain is the safest place to walk,IMO. I would never dream of walking in my own country on my own but never felt threatened on any of my 6 Caminos up to now(or heard of any younger women) and mostly started on my own from Australia. Each time I have met wonderful ,friendly folk to walk with for hours or days.Personally I prefer walking on my own during the day but definitely enjoy having others to have meals with and spend time with later. I planned early on to walk the Norte next year by myself but my long time friend asked if she could come and I agreed reluctantly.
If it relieves your mind then of course you can start with us on the 20th May. I'm sure you will meet up with compatible pilgrims to walk with at your speed. I don't know your age but seems you are much younger than us old ladies! We intend to stay in a mixture of albergues( municipal and private),pensions or small hotels. Won't wait until 1600 for albergues to open if we arrive much earlier
I believe it will be much harder than the Frances which I have walked 3 times.
If you have never walked the Frances it is IMO the best one to start with ,there you will definitely meet tons of folk to walk with from SJPDP
Don't be put off you will love it!
 
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A reminder that this is an English language forum and the majority of the forum speak and understand that language. Posts in languages other than English make it difficult for the majority to understand the thread.
On-line translators often change or misdirect the meaning of the original poster. Please post in English on this forum.

A second reminder is to go gently as this thread is moving toward personal remarks toward other posters.
It will remain open for now with the hope that it returns to a helpful discussion on personal safety on the Camino..
 
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